


The Danger is Real (But Fear is in the Mind)

by captainkoirk



Category: Coraline (2009), Gravity Falls
Genre: F/F, Girls And Their Sweaters, Magical Mystery, Occult Lovin' Teens, Probable Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-05 06:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/720012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainkoirk/pseuds/captainkoirk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's some weak sunlight today, peeking through the foliage and scattering little prisms through the dew drops. In the daylight, Coraline has a clearer view of the building by the edge of the woods. It looms like a disgruntled guardian over the town. Craning her neck, she can see red plywood letters on the roof.</p><p> </p><p>"Mystery Shack"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Coraline is used to Oregon forests.

 

Used to the velvety mosses cushioning her step, the squelching under her boots. The dripping of rain off of the ancient pines, the droplets running down through her hairline and catching on her eyelashes, distorting her vision.

 

…

 

Her parents hadn't remembered their time in the snow globe, in the Other World, but their rooms in the Pink Palace hadn't fit right, in the years afterwards. She'd find her mother leaning too close to mirrors, too close to see anything but a blur, but looking with such clarity that Coraline would feel a tightness in her chest. A tightness like a hand, wrapping itself around her heart and _squeezing,_ wanting to take and take and _take._

 

Mindlessly, she'd be back at the old well, staring down into the black tunnel and struggling to breath, clutching at the familiar weight of the seeing stone in her jacket pocket.

 

Her father had noticed, noticed that there was something hovering just outside of their five senses. He'd linger in front of the mantle piece, his brows furrowed as he reached out to brush off non-existent dust.

 

The Pink Palace just had too many missing moments, too much deja vu that had no reason to be there.

 

There'd been another garden party when the Joneses has said goodbye to Ashland, Oregon. Coraline had held the seeing stone out to Misses Spink and Forcible, but Miss Spink had taken Coraline's hand in her own, closed Coraline's fingers back around the stone. Miss Forcible had nodded.

 

"Deceit is everywhere, Coraline. Our time in this world is enough to help us. But you are still young, and there is still much danger."

 

She thought Wybie might try and kiss her, but he didn't. She thought that would make her sad, but it didn't.

 

In the backseat of her car, the seeing stone had felt warm and reassuring in her jeans pocket, and she had fallen asleep to the rhythm of the road, the rustling of the map in her mother's hands, and the beating of the rain on the windshield.

 

Her father's shoulders fell naturally, for the first time in years, outside of the walls of the Pink Palace.

 

…

 

Gravity Falls isn't so different from Ashland. The winding Oregon forests with their tall trees are something Coraline is used to. She absentmindedly thumbs the seeing stone in her jacket pocket, and she can't help but miss the mystery and the danger of the Pink Palace, and she feels guilty, when she remembers the shadows in her parents' eyes. Things seem dreary in Gravity Falls, and not just because of the rain. She's used to the rain.

 

Coraline doesn't remember taking the stone out of her pocket, lifting it to eye level. She doesn't remember blinking the rain out of her lashes, squinting and screwing up her face to see clearly through the stone.

 

She remembers fear.

 

There's something lurking behind those ancient trees with _intent,_ and the clean smells of rainwater and pine become bitter and acrid, and Coraline remembers, hadn't she learned to be careful what she wished for, yet?

 

There's a hand on hers, cold and clammy, and there's the sweet smell of wet wool, the jingling of bracelets. Coraline is being pulled, and she's stumbling through ferns, feeling mud splatter up the back of her jeans. The burning in her lungs feels like it belongs to someone else, because Coraline is breathing _fear,_ but someone is gripping her one hand tight, and the other has her seeing stone.

 

They don't stop until they reach the end of the woods, tumbling into a clearing and landing in a tangle.

 

There's frizzy, damp hair on Coraline's face, and the rainwater trapped in it doesn't smell bitter. She doesn't mind the earring digging into her collarbone, because there is warmth and solidity and _humanity_ keeping her safe.

 

… 

 

The girl's name is Mabel, and their misadventure seems to be the last thing on her mind.

 

"I like your blue hair!"

 

Coraline is breathing hard, and her heart feels like it's going to jump out of her chest, but she manages a weak smile. Mabel wants her to come over, to dry off, to have hot cocoa, and Coraline wants to mistrust this generosity, this eagerness to please, but she can only agree.

 

"I like your sweater, too. It matches my earrings!" Mabel gestures towards a pair of dangling wire stars, tangled in her hair. Coraline smiles again, with teeth, and her jaw aches.

 

…

 

When Mabel stands and turns, Coraline sneaks a look at her through the seeing stone, but all she sees is soaked Keds, mud-splattered bare calves, and chipped, candy-pink nail polish.

 

Coraline wonders if she should learn to be wary, but she's shoving the seeing stone deep into her jacket pocket, running to catch up with Mabel, and it's easier than breathing.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Coraline is sitting at the kitchen table, feet absentmindedly tracing patterns in the grain of the floorboards while watching Mabel heat milk over the gas stove. There's a boy in the next room, curled up on the old sofa with a library copy of _The Odyssey_ and a dog-eared notebook with a broken spine. He keeps glancing distractedly at Coraline, and eventually gives up trying to read, shuffling over to the kitchen and sitting across from Coraline at the counter. He leaves _The Odyssey_ on the sofa, but holds the journal close to him, eyes moving between it and Coraline. Mabel smiles, grabbing an extra mug from the cupboard and adding two scoops of coca mix.

 

It doesn't click for Coraline until she sees them sitting next to each other.

 

It's not just their looks, but the way their mannerisms fit together seamlessly in a complimentary dance. The boy cautiously blowing on the rim of his mug while holding it at eye level; Mabel tipping hers back with abandon.

 

"We didn't have mini marshmallows, so I cut up big ones."

 

Coraline realizes that she's been silent, but she only manages to nod. She knows she's not in danger, and instinctively touches her seeing stone.

 

"So… what was in the forest?" She manages, making eye contact with Mabel. She tells herself that she's not looking for more trouble. She tells herself that trouble and excitement aren't one and the same. She doesn't believe herself, but she can pretend. "I could only see it with…"

 

Coraline trails off, frowning. She's not sure how to explain things like monsters and seeing stones to anyone but herself. Her and Wybie had never talked about it. They'd just _known._

 

"Coraline has a seeing stone! That she knows how to use!" Mabel announces, not a heartbeat later, like she'd been waiting for Coraline to bring it up.

 

The boy's eyebrows go up past his thick bangs.

 

…

 

The boy's name is Dipper, apparently. Or, that's what Mabel introduces him as. 

 

Coraline goes along with it, because she knows that a true name can be a dangerous thing to trust a stranger with.

 

But she doesn't feel like a stranger, crowded around the table, poring over a handwritten passage in the old journal about stones like hers, Mabel giddily reading interesting parts aloud while Dipper holds the seeing stone, examining it.

 

"A Druid Stone! You should wear it on an iron chain around your neck! It says here that the iron enforces it's powers!" Mabel leans in to point out a sentence scrawled in the margin of the page, shoulder resting comfortable against Coraline's. Coraline can smell her shampoo, mint and rosemary, and though Mabel's sweater is almost dry, Coraline catches hints of their run through the forest; the pines, the rainwater, the sweat.

 

"Yeah, it'd look cool, too." Coraline agrees, trying not to look distant. Mabel hasn't addressed the question of what was in the forest, almost like it's so inconsequential she doesn't remember. Coraline has to admit that after getting lost in the book, it feels like forever ago, but she could never forget it. "Mabel, I didn't see what was in the forest, but I could feel it when I looked through my stone. Do you know what it was?"

 

Mabel flips back through the journal, showing Coraline an inked illustration of a hulking creature with teeth protruding from its jaws and past its lips. "Oh! That was a Gremloblin. We didn't have any mirrors to fight it with, though."

 

"If you look into their eyes, you see your worst fear." Dipper adds, almost casually, as he finishes the dregs of his hot chocolate.

 

Coraline is a little wary of the somewhat blithe attitude Mabel and Dipper appear to have regarding things that go bump in the night, but she supposes they have a guidebook. She'd only ever played by someone else's ever-changing rules, years ago, without even being told about them. And they had each other.

 

It's getting dark out, and Dipper notices Coraline eyeing the windows. "It's getting dark. You should probably get going. Do you know the way home from here?"

 

Coraline shakes her head. "I just moved here, and I was wandering. I live in the Pink Pal- er, on Crayne street."

 

Mabel looks a little dejected, letting the journal fall shut instead of closing the old tome carefully. "I know where that is! I'll walk you!"

 

Dipper hands Coraline her stone, looking away when their hands touch, eyes fixed on his empty mug.

 

… 

 

Mabel's steps are confident under the weak glow of the street lamps. Coraline shuffles along, eyes on what she can't see, but she feels safe, like Mabel's bright enough to keep whatever's lurking in the woods away.

 

"So, uh, Gremloblins… are those, like, a normal occurrence?"

 

Mabel nibbles her bottom lip. "Yeah. There's a lot of… stuff. There's a lot of stuff here. It's dangerous, but Dipper's read that guidebook cover to cover, like, bleventeen times, so I guess we have it better than most people. But there is some really beautiful things, too. Once I kissed a mermaid!"

 

Coraline laughs despite the dark and her frazzled nerves, but something makes her chest a little tight, and she doesn't know why. "A mermaid! For real?"

 

Mabel dramatically flings a hand over her heart. "Scout's honour!" she declares, with a mock voice crack, and Coraline laughs again.

 

By the time they reach Crayne street, Coraline's no longer trying to convince herself not to seek out danger.

 

…

 

Mabel walks Coraline all the way up to her porch, rocking back on her heels when Coraline says goodbye.

 

"We're friends, right, Coraline?"

 

The question catches Coraline off guard, and she blinks. She considers herself a guarded person, but she can't imagine why they wouldn't be. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

 

Mabel throws her arms around Coraline's shoulders. "I'm glad I found you before the Gremloblin did."

 

Coraline's armed with a sarcastic comeback, but it doesn't come out. Mabel's _hugging_ her, and she can smell her shampoo, again. Sharp and clean, but earthy.

 

"Can I see you soon? There's so many cool things I want to show you!" Mabel asks, grinning, and the stone in Coraline's pocket feels warm.

 

Coraline nods, finding herself grinning, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner is takeout sandwiches wrapped in paper from a nearby cafe; pastrami on rye, for Coraline, with too much mayonnaise, but at least the pickles taste fresh.

 

Coraline and her parents sit on boxes of packed belongings, balancing their food on their laps, wiping their hands on paper napkins. The conversation flows easily, and Coraline's mother and father look happier than she's seen them in a while. The old furrows that Coraline had never noticed in their brows are gone, and the lines of their shoulders are restful. 

 

Coraline makes herself promise not to bring trouble home.

 

"How was your your walk, Coraline?" Her father asks, between mouthfuls. He's having weird toppings of his own combination, carefully listed out to the woman behind the cafe counter.

 

"Good. It was good. I… made a couple of friends, I think."

 

Her mother smiles, passing her father a napkin. "That's wonderful! What are their names?"

 

"There's a girl named Mabel, and her brother. He goes by Dipper. They live in the old house next to the woods. " Coraline wants to explain that Mabel makes her feel safe when she lets her curiosity get the better of her, that Mabel makes the danger in the woods feel like something Coraline shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to _know_ , but she doesn't know how.

 

"A boy!" Her father teases, elbowing her in the side, and her mother laughs. 

 

Coraline rolls her eyes good-naturedly and snorts. "Da-ad!"

 

… 

 

Coraline is unpacking her toothbrush and pyjamas for bed, when she comes across her laptop. She makes a mental note to start on a message for Wybie, and see if she can mooch some Wi-Fi to send it, until her new house is all set up.

 

…

 

_Hey Wybie_

 

_Things are alright in Gravity Falls. There are monsters in the woods, but also some cool shit. I met a girl named Mabel and her brother. She's really nice._

 

Coraline frowns. 'Nice' is the word she uses to describe people she doesn't really have an opinion about, and she definitely has an opinion about Mabel. She'd been able to tell Wybie everything, since the Other Mother, but they'd always talked face to face. She's not sure how to put the words down, though. She'll try again later, after she gets to know Mabel better.

 

_They have a book on monsters that's really helpful. My parents are really happy here, I think. Mabel's really good with the strange things around here. I guess you'd call it occult? It's nothing like the other mother. It's all happening in one place, but it's not like anyone's controlling it. Also, mermaids are real. Mabel kissed one once. Could you thank Ms Spink and Forcible for letting me keep the stone? It's helping me a lot. Tell your gran and everyone else I said hello._

 

…

 

Coraline sleeps deeply. She knows that the danger is real. But fear is in the mind, and she can't help not feeling it.

 

She _won't_ bring danger home, she reminds herself, hearing her parents voices, full of mirth, down the hall.

 

Her seeing stone is on the floor next to her mattress, and Coraline wonders where she can find an iron chain.

 

…

 

Coraline wakes before her parents do, slipping down the hall in sock feet to the bathroom. She takes stock of her appearance in the mirror, noting the absence of the dark circles under her eyes. Quietly brushing her teeth and washing her face, Coraline decides to get some cereal and milk, as well as try a cafe with free Wi-Fi so that she can contact Wybie.

 

Sitting cross-legged on her mattress on the floor of her new room, Coraline uses her pocket mirror to help her apply wingtip eyeliner. She can't really think of anything to do with her pixie cut, since all of her clips are still packed, so she just runs her fingers through it, making it less of a bed-head. She rifles through her clothes boxes, coming up with her Dad's old _Joy Division_ t-shirt, a pair of maroon corduroys, the cardigan Wybie's Grandma knit her, her lucky blue bra and matching underwear, and socks that more or less match, as well. Shrugging on her peacoat, Coraline shoves her Druid Stone, as Mabel called it, into her coat pocket. Eyeing her pocket mirror, she grabs that as well.

 

Just in case she runs into any Gremloblins, she figures, putting her laptop in her backpack.

 

Taking some money from her mother's purse, she scrawls a note on a sticky note and sticks it to the fridge.

 

_Getting breakfast_

 

_Coraline :)_

 

_…_

 

 

 

Coraline picks out Cinnamon Toast Crunch for herself, and something boring with the word "bran" in the name for her parents. The milk comes in a glass bottle, and costs a little extra, but Coraline likes the idea. She grabs apples in different colours; red, green, rosy pink, unsure of what she wants.

 

The air is crisp, and Coraline's motorcycle boots make satisfying crunching noises as she wanders through the autumn leaves, looking for somewhere with Wi-Fi. She settles on a place with a cheerful, hand-painted sign, and orders cheap herbal tea from a bag.

 

Booting up her laptop, Coraline notices the treetops of the forest, over the shop roofs. Mabel has asked if she could see Coraline the next day, though she hadn't specified when, exactly, and Coraline didn't have a way of contacted her apart from knocking on her door. Coraline resolves to wait for a more reasonable hour to visit. She sends Wybie her message on Skype, and finishes her tea, hands wrapped around the ceramic mug, enjoying the heat seeping into her fingers and palms.

 

…

 

Her mother and father are up by the time she returns, breakfast in hand. They're working in tandem to unpack and organize their kitchen utensils, and Coraline watches from the doorway. They have a rhythm, unspoken and easy after years together, and Coraline feels warmth from beyond just coming in from the cold.

 

Coraline eats her cereal perched on the counter, watching as her parents sit close, doing a crossword in the local paper. She helps them solve it, hoping to pass some time before going to see Mabel and Dipper.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Coraline wanders through town, eyes on the treetops near the edge. Gravity Falls isn't built on any kind of logical grid, but she keeps walking towards the trees, and soon enough the sidewalk ends, leaving way to a dirt path.

 

There's some weak sunlight today, peeking through the foliage and scattering little prisms through the dew drops. In the daylight, Coraline has a clearer view of the building by the edge of the woods. It looms like a disgruntled guardian over the town. Craning her neck, Coraline can see red plywood letters on the roof.

 

_Mystery Shack_

 

The front has wide wooden steps, leading up to a glass door with a lopsided _Open_ sign hung on the inside. The stairs groan under Coraline's boots, and the bell on the door seems to anticipate her arrival; it jingles in the wind before she even touches the door handle.

 

Coraline stands in the corner of the shop next to a taxidermy three-headed bear, hands shoved into her coat pockets, watching the crowd of tourists and locals milling about. Mabel's chatting with customers, wearing a knit jumper with a cat face on it over a flamingo pink collar shirt and a tweed miniskirt. Coraline notices that her nail polish is still the same shade of candy pink, though Mabel's changed her star earrings for a pair of black ceramic kittens with rhinestone eyes. Coraline's eyes drop to the ground, taking in a pair of black suede flats with embroidered cat faces, complete with ears worked into the shape of the shoes. Coraline smiles to herself, letting her eyes wander up Mabel's cream thigh-high socks, her skirt, her sweater, the column of her neck, until meeting Mabel's eyes. Mabel smiles and waves when she notices her, excusing herself from her conversation with a customer and making her way over to Coraline. Coraline tells herself that she hadn't been being creepy just then. She has reasons to observant, in a seemingly mundane town with secrets.

 

…

 

The Mystery Shack is a series of long hallways with a impossible number of rooms, all too large when Coraline remembers the house from the outside. The stairs only creak in some places, making a solid 'thunk' or a soft sigh in others. The walls are lined with curiosities, some on top of all the layers of wallpaper, with minimal dust. Others with wallpaper haphazardly pasted around them, covered in dense, yellow-tinged dust with florals and stripes from times past peeking out from behind. Taxidermy, jars filled with murky fluid and strange forms, blurry photographs with moving subjects; Coraline mentally catalogues all of them as Mabel offers bits of information.

 

"Those're Yetis. They travel in packs."

 

"Oh, that's a Gonick. They live in the swamp and hoard treasure."

 

"This is leprechaun gold!"

 

"If you separate a Stroud from it's walking stick, it has to grant you a wish."

 

Coraline sees things that look like the outlines of doors, strapped behind layers of wallpaper of paste, and she doesn't say anything.

 

…

 

Mabel's room is on the top floor, across from Dipper's.

 

"We used to share, but we needed space, you know?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Do you have any siblings, Coraline?"

 

Coraline shakes her head. "Only child."

 

"Oh! What's it like?"

 

"Lonely, sometimes. I'm pretty close with my parents, but I'd rather have someone my age to hang out with."

 

Mabel elbows her in the side. "Well, you have me! Besides, Dipper can be so annoying, sometimes."

 

A muffled "Hey!" comes from the room across the hall, and Coraline and Mabel giggle.

 

Mabel doesn't talk about her parents, and Coraline doesn't ask, but does talk about her great-uncle Stan, who owns the Mystery Shack.

 

Coraline sits in an overstuffed chair, going through Mabel's lipstick collection while Mabel touches up her chipped nails. Show Orchid, Girl About Town, Tacky Flamingo, Sunny Seoul, Candy Yum-Yum.

 

"There's so many real mysteries in Gravity Falls, but he runs this place like a big con. It's refreshing, actually."

 

"So the three-headed bear…?"

 

"Ha! Not a chance! There is a Multi-Bear living in a cave up in the mountains, though."

 

"Multi-Bear?"

 

"It has wa-ay, more than three heads. Lots of arms, too. Dipper had to slay it to prove his manhood to a pack of Minotaurs."

 

"Obviously."

 

"I can't help being used to it!"

 

"So did he slay it?"

 

"Nah, the Multi-Bear is actually pretty friendly. Dipper didn't do it because they both liked the song _Disco Girl._ "

 

"Oh my god! I'm pretty sure my parents have toddler videos of me dancing to that."

 

"I can hear you two!" Dipper's voice comes from the other room, again, and Mabel just laughs.

 

…

 

Coraline lets Mabel paint her toenails Muchi-Muchi, a shimmery pale pink that Coraline knows will feel special wrapped up in thick wool socks and leather boots, like a little secret they have.

 

"It's nice to have someone to share this occult shit with, you know."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Yeah. Candy and Grenda are my best friends, and one time we fought a monster made of lame candy together, but apart from Dipper, everyone sort of avoids it."

 

"It's kinda cool. Wait, a lame candy monster?"

 

"Did I mention they celebrate Halloween twice a year, here? They call the second one Summerween."

 

"Oh my god!"

 

"I _know_ , right?"

 

"That's amazing! And probably terrifying!"

 

"Nah, Halloween seems to be one of the safer times. Probably all those lights."

 

"Huh. Hey, Mabel, d'you know where I can find an iron chain?"

 

"For your Druid Stone?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"There's a bead shop just off Kielbourne street. Wanna go?"

 

"Yeah, for sure."

 

Mabel blows on Coraline's toes to finish drying them off, and Coraline feels a tingling sensation all the way up her legs.

 

…

 

Mabel picks one of her lipsticks and applies it generously in the mirror of her bureau. Candy Yum-Yum, Coraline notes. She stuffs it in a little blue leather drawstring bag, along with her wallet, and keys on an evil eye keyring.

 

"My purse matches your hair!" Mabel announces, shrugging on a faux-fur leopard print coat and and slipping on her cat flats.

 

Mabel and Coraline leave through the back door, after Mabel tells her great-uncle that they're going out. He makes a noncommittal noise and ruffles Mabel's hair, nodding in Coraline's direction. Coraline's toes feel extra warm, and not because of her woollen socks and heavy boots. Her hands are in her pockets, and she gives her seeing stone a squeeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be real. Coraline and Mabel would be the raddest teens.


	5. Chapter 5

The bead shop is easy to miss, a small, wooden store front between the animal clinic and a bar, with a door that sticks. The middle-aged woman with waist-length hair behind the counter sipping tea seems to know Mabel, though, and greets the pair with a friendly smile and an exclamation about how nice the weather is.

 

There's a number of wooden cabinets with small, square drawers, and Coraline and Mabel open all of them. Coraline recognizes a lot of the symbols carved into the colourful glass beads from Dipper's book, making a note to ask Mabel about it, later.

 

Something above the doorframe catches Coraline's eye. It's a small cloth bag and an assortment of dried leaves and carved beads, fixed together and suspended from the ceiling by twine. An old black cat wraps itself around Coraline's legs, and when Coraline looks to the woman behind the counter, her tea is stirring itself. The woman just winks, and the cat begins to purr.

 

Coraline is reminded of Cat, and feels a sense of ease. The little bead shop on Kielbourne street is a safe place, Coraline knows, as she pulls the stone from her pocket, nudges Mabel, and inclines her head to the woman."

 

"What's her name?" She whispers.

 

"Calpurnia Stierlin."

 

Shuffling over to the counter, presenting her Druid stone to Calpurnia. "Uh, Miss Stierlin?"

 

"Calpurnia's fine, dear. Hello, Mabel. How's Dipper doing?"

 

"He's good. He's started on those books you gave him!"

 

"Wonderful. Now," she turns to Coraline, "where'd you come across this?"

 

"Two friends gave it to me. They said I'd need it. Do you sell iron chains?"

 

Calpurnia gently picked up the stone, examining it. "They'd be right, dear." leaning down, Calpurnia pulled out a drawer of necklace chains and placed it on the counter top. "Ten dollars for short ones, fifteen for long."

 

Coraline picks a long chain under Calpurnia's watchful gaze.

 

"Good choice, dear."

 

Mabel giggles, and distracted by some quartz pendulums, turns and explores other parts of the shop. When Coraline pays, Calpurnia presses a small silver charm into her palm, winking again.

 

"Perþ. for new beginnings and mysteries of many kinds."

 

Mabel helps Coraline with the clasp on the chain, and Coraline feels a little jump in her pulse when Mabel's fingers brush the back of her neck.

 

…

 

Coraline and Mabel are sitting in a swinging deck chair on Mabel's back porch, drinking Cola while Dipper lies on a lawn chair, shading his eyes while reading _The Odyssey._

 

"Mabel?" Coraline asks, tucking her hair behind her ears.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Is Calpurnia a witch?"

 

"I dunno. Probably. I've never heard her cat talk, though."

 

"I knew a black cat that could talk."

 

"What!"

 

"Well, sort of. It couldn't talk normally. It had to be… somewhere else."

 

"Somewhere where?"

 

"Like, it could go through a door to another version of our world, where it could talk. It's kind of hard to explain. I'll tell you some other time."

 

"I'm holding you to that."

 

"Deal. Do you think Calpurnia's a good witch?"

 

"Like the antonym for being evil, or just being shitty at witchcraft?" Dipper asks.

 

"Like a friendly witch."

 

"Yeah. She lends me books that I'm pretty sure aren't cursed. Like, eighty-five percent sure. I think one of them was written in blood, though."

 

"Can you learn to be a witch, or do you think you have to be born a witch?" Mabel muses, picking at a thread the arm of the chair.

 

"I'm not sure all witches are human." Coraline says. She's thinking about the Other mother, and how she made a deal with Mabel to tell her about the Other world. Coraline's not sure how to explain it, and she feels bad. Mabel's told her everything she's wanted to know, sharing her and her brother's secrets. Coraline's sure Mabel knows more about magic than she does, but sharing seems difficult. Coraline remembers every detail from that week, years ago, but she's never talked about it with anyone. Wybie had just _known,_ and Misses Spink and Forcible had hinted at some kind of knowledge of it, but never said anything. Coraline wonders about Wybie's grandmother, and resolves to talk to her, if she can.

 

Coraline eventually excuses herself. She needs to go home and help her parents unpack, and Mabel offers to walk her, again. Coraline's sure she could find her way on her own this time, but she says thanks, instead, and they're on their way.

 

Mabel hugs her at the door again, and Coraline's Druid stone feels warm between them, under Coraline's shirt.

 

…

 

Coraline's room is pretty much finished. Her posters are up, and her mattress is finally off the floor and back on its bedframe. Coraline's excited to invite the Pines twins over, and she thinks about it while helping her dad set up the modem for Wi-Fi.

 

She checks her Skype, and Wybie's replied.

 

_So it's not like evil magic, just magical creatures. Refreshing much? You should take photos of them and sell them on the internet ((you heard it here first I get 50%))_

_Ms S and F said something cryptic about how once the stone is given it can't be taken back, but I think it could loosely be construed as you're welcome._

 

_Wait, do you mean that Mabel's kissed a mermaid-man, or a mermaid-maid? like a girl mermaid_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO BECCA MADE ME THIS RAD FANART EVERYBODY GO LOVE HER
> 
> http://kermodism.tumblr.com/post/45562958424/drew-these-qts-because-of-niharikas-fantastic


	6. Chapter 6

Coraline had forgotten all about school, and when her mother asks if she wants to drive up to Portland for the weekend, she's clueless.

 

"Uh, what's the occasion?"

 

"No occasion, I just thought we could do some back to school shopping."

 

There's only two secondary schools in Gravity Falls, and Coraline wonders which one Mabel goes to. There's a strange part of her that doesn't want to share Mabel with her other friends, even though they've practically just met. Coraline curls her painted toes, feeling guilty about how they feel like a special secret, just between her and Mabel.

 

It's a four hour drive North on the I-5, and Coraline thinks about Wybie's message.

 

_Wait, do you mean that Mabel's kissed a mermaid-man, or a mermaid-maid? like a girl mermaid._

 

Coraline thinks about how electric it feels when Mabel hugs her. Like a friendly taser. She's used to the stranger things in life, and thumbs the small silver charm Calpurnia gave her.

 

_Perþ. for new beginnings and mysteries of many kinds._

 

There are lots of mysteries in Gravity Falls, and Coraline might be biased, but she's sure Mabel's the least dangerous.

 

Well, no. Not the least dangerous, not by a long shot. Mabel's probably the deadliest force in Gravity Falls, with her brother and their book and their house with winding corridors and things hiding in the walls. But she makes Coraline feel safe, and Coraline wonders what it'd be like to be on the side of the monsters. That would probably be infinitely more dangerous.

 

Coraline drifts off in the backseat, with hazy dreams of damp wool, syrupy cola, scraped knees, and the waxy taste of lipstick.

 

…

 

She wakes up to her father gently shaking her, asking if she wants to get lunch, to visit the biggest bookstore in North America, to go to a mall. Coraline rubs her eyes, forgetting her eyeliner, and groans.

 

"Lunch, for sure. I gotta clean up my eyes in a bathroom."

 

Her mother laughs from the front seat. "I know a good Jewish breakfast-lunch type place. Sound good?"

 

"Oh my god, _yes._ "

 

…

 

Coraline wipes off her eye makeup in the bathroom of Kenny & Zuke's with some paper towels and that pink, opaque liquid soap.

 

The soap reminds her of a high school bathroom, and Coraline hasn't worried about school in a while, but she's worried, now. She'd been living in a weird state, forgetting the world around her. Now she's jealous of girls she's never met that have had Mabel's attention and friendship before she even showed up. It sure as hell isn't normal.

 

_a mermaid-man, or a mermaid-maid?_

 

Coraline blushes, blotchy under the fluorescent bathroom lights, tosses the paper towel in the bin, and goes out to join her parents.

 

…

 

She's having a little trouble meeting her parents' eyes, staring at the pulp floating in her organic, local, fresh-squeezed orange juice. The pulp is practically forming a _happy face,_ and Coraline scowls down at it. It also happens to be delicious, and it's a disgustingly sunny day, with crisp fall leaves fluttering around the sidewalks.

 

"Is everything alright, Coraline?"

 

Her parents look concerned, and Coraline remembers the shadows that used to lurk behind their eyes, and feels guilty.

 

"Just hungry. Everything's too cheerful for my empty stomach."

 

Her father smiles, crooked, just like her.

 

Their food arrives promptly, and Coraline forgets her troubled thoughts, inhaling ricotta cheese blintzes and commenting on how she wants and IV drip of the stuff. She'll never get over how much she loves the sound of her mother's laughter, and concludes that maybe Mabel _is_ the least dangerous thing in Gravity Falls, if this is what it takes to make herself feel safe and happy.

 

…

 

The bookstore is across the street, and little pamphlets printed like pulp fiction book covers advertise _Powell's City of Books: The Largest Bookstore on the Continent!_

 

Her and her parents split up, her mother to the room on Gardening, and her father to the History section. Coraline loiters near the shop map, unsure what she's looking for. Dipper would love it here.

 

Coraline resolves to keep her mind off the Pines twins, and finds herself in the section on Folklore, Mythology, and Fairy Tales section. So much for that thought.

 

There's an illustrated book on Greek myths, and Coraline tucks it under her arm, thinking about Dipper's _Odyssey_. Wondering about the Perþ charm Calpurnia gave her, Coraline eyes _Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism._ It looks self-published, with a weird colour scheme on the cover and awkward font spacing, but it's only five bucks, and Coraline's curious.

 

It's an unusual time to be book shopping, at noon on a Thursday, and the room is pretty much empty, apart from an employee stocking shelves, and a boy in a red hoodie with hair that won't sit right and a freaky set of green peepers.

 

He can't see her behind the stacks, and she wonders if it would hurt to look at him through her stone. He couldn't be much younger than her, and they're both elbows and knees. Maybe he had secrets, too.

 

She _almost_ resists.

 

He glows bright green, like his corneas are actually just tiny windows to his insides. It's stronger than anything Coraline's seen on a (presumed) human being before, and she wonders if it's the chain, or if it might be him.

 

Coraline lets her stone fall back under her shirt, but not before he sees her.

 

"See anything interesting?"

 

"You could say that." Coraline's got a good two inches on him, maybe more, if he flattened his hair. She's not in the business of trusting strangers, no matter how many exceptions she's been making, lately, and she's sure she could deck him if it came to it.

 

"I've never seen a Druid stone in person before. Where'd you find it?"

 

"A friend gave it to me." Coraline makes sure to keep her books between them. He seems friendly, but Coraline's seen _friendly_ before.

 

"I'm Norman, by the way. _Essential Asatru_ looks like complete bullshit, but I own a copy, and it's actually pretty accurate."

 

Coraline's mouth twitches in a smile without her permission. She makes a mental note to quash the habit, but she's already offering her name. "I'm Coraline."

 

"You follow Freya?"

 

"Uh."

 

"The rune pendant you're wearing. I know a person who makes them, that's all. I'm, like, pretty sure she's a witch. Not a wicked witch, though."

 

It's slowly dawning on Coraline that she's having a completely serious conversation about witches, Norse pagans, and real life _magic_ with some random guy she met when he caught her spying on him, but then again, he was _glowing._ "Does her name happen to be Calpurnia? Calpurnia Stierlin?"

 

Norman blinks those eyes of his, looking like a scrawny owl. "Holy shit."

 

"Small world?" Coraline feels more at ease. Calpurnia is definitely safe, and if she hasn't used her (possible) witchy powers to smite Norman, he probably isn't any kind of bad, Coraline reasons. Plus, he looks like he weighs about one hundred pounds. Coraline could probably _throw_ him, even if with her complete lack of athletic prowess in anything that wasn't running for her life in an adrenaline-fueled mad dash.

 

…

 

Turns out, Norman lives in Gravity Falls, too. His eyes go even wider when he finds out, even though Coraline wasn't sure that'd be possible, and insists on helping her pick out some more guidebooks for dealing with the creepy-crawlies and the things that go bump in the night.

 

Coraline thinks he's underestimating her ability to bump back, but then again, it's been quite a few years since she's vanquished any supernatural forces, and it hadn't been pleasant. It would be nice if she had some rules to play by.

 

She tells Norman as much, and he looks like he wants to ask, but she's glad he doesn't. She's not sure how to start, and she feels like she should tell Mabel first, anyways.

 

Mabel. They hardly know each other, and Coraline hasn't even been gone a _day,_ but that's where her thoughts keep going.

 

It's probably because they share the _knowing._ But then again, this Norman kid's got it, too, and Coraline's not feeling the electricity she feels with Mabel.

 

It's probably because Mabel saved her life. But then again, Wybie did, way back when, and Wybie's her best friend, but she doesn't feel the same way about him.

 

It's probably because Mabel's a girl, and Coraline hasn't really had any close female friends.

 

Or maybe it's different because Mabel's a girl.

 

_Wait, do you mean that Mabel's kissed a mermaid-man, or a mermaid-maid? like a girl mermaid._

 

Coraline's face must visibly shift, because Norman halts his rambling (apparently, he can be quite the talker, once you get him to open up) and gives her a funny look.

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

"Nah."

 

"You sure?"

 

"Positive."

 

Coraline isn't positive. She's never had a boyfriend, never really had a serious crush on anyone, but she'd always figured it was because she was weird, and had reasons for some pretty nasty trust issues. She isn't even keeping tabs on Mabel's male counterpart. She fits into a couple of stereotypes, and high school hasn't been a particularly kind place, but Coraline had never given much thought to this particular mystery.

 

_New beginnings and mysteries of all kinds._

 

Yeah, Calpurnia was _definitely_ a witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, folks.
> 
> Take note, all these Portland locations are real, and are some of my favourite gems in the city.
> 
> ((Surprisingly, in my absence, I actually obtained a Druid stone of my own. Uncanny!))


	7. Chapter 7

Her parents exchange looks when they see Coraline's book selection, and Coraline renews her promise not to bring them any worry or trouble.

 

"Er, I can explain. Mom, Dad… I'm… I'm a New-Ager."

 

She relaxes when they burst into laughter.

 

"Aw, hell no! the Bible said Adam and Eve, not Arawn and Eostre!" Her father teases.

 

"Hey, you can't even _begin_ to judge my book collection if you can accurately and confidently pronounce the names Celtic deities!"

 

"What can I say? I had a phase. _You_ try living through the eighties and coming out unscathed."

 

Coraline's also relieved at their reaction to her mock-coming-out speech. She can't be sure of anything, yet, and she's never had any reason to doubt her parents' love, but it's nice to be sure of some things.

 

…

 

 

Portland has some thrift shops that are _very_ much Coraline's speed, and she manages to distract herself, forgetting all about about what she's dubbed her Three Ms.

 

Monsters, Magic, and Mabel.

 

Instead, she's figuring out what she'll wear her white Doc Martens with (thirty-five bucks, what a steal!). Maybe those black jeans on that rack over there? With that cardigan with knitted foxes on it? Or the plain navy blue pullover? Both, she should get both. And that t-shirt from _Devil's Rock, Wyoming._

 

It's all going fine, until her mother asks if she wants to get some new eyeliner at the MAC store in the mall on their way out, and Coraline sees all that pink lipstick and nail varnish.

 

So much for that thought.

 

Her mother raises an eyebrow when she buys a polish in _Pink Nouveau._

 

"I never knew you liked painting your nails. Let alone painting them pink."

 

"It's not for me, it's for a friend."

 

"Mabel?"

 

Coraline's head jerks up a little. She hasn't said her name out loud all day, no matter how much she's been thinking it, and it phases her a little. That's weird. "Uh, yeah."

 

"That's nice of you. I'm glad you're making friends; you're father and I were worried about the move, about fitting in at a new school, and all that."

 

Coraline starts reading her book on Greek myths on the way home, and the little bottle of nail polish feels like it's burning a hole in her jacket pocket.

 

…

 

Coraline wears the fox cardigan on her first day at Gravity Falls North Secondary School. It had rained the night before, and the little mosses peeking out from between the pavement cracks squelch under her new boots as Coraline makes her way across the school grounds.

 

The building is older, a single storey sprawling over the lot. Kids stand in groups, dismally eyeing the wet benches and steps as they loiter. There's an excited atmosphere, though; people hugging one another, and announcing how long it's been since they've last seen each other. Summer's humidity is still clinging to the air, despite the dampness, and the students are dressed in a medley of fall outfits and stubborn summer clothes. Coraline's got her stooped posture going on, keeping her elbows in and her feet shuffling. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in.

 

That's when she sees Mabel.

 

She can't help the smile that breaks out on her face, or calling out to Mabel. Coraline even waves. Not with small, half-assed gesture, mere a wiggle of the fingers, but with her whole arm swinging.

 

And when Mabel smiles back, pink lipstick curving around her teeth, Coraline knows that she's lost.

 

…

 

Gravity Falls North is small, the kind of school where the teachers can remember all the students names and wave when they see them in town. Coraline's never really done cozy, but Mabel does, and Coraline figures she can learn.

 

Of course, there are others. Dipper's always at Mabel's side, composition notebook in hand, keeping his head down. There's Candy, a slip of a girl with thick framed glasses who finds humour in everything, whom Coraline is sure the phrase "laughter like bells" was invented for. There's Grenda, unapologetically occupying her space with big hair, big hips, and big eyelashes, who can do a keg stand and loves gardening. And there's Norman, _of course_ there's Norman-birds of a feather, and all that- vanishing like a ghost and everywhere at once and driving Dipper up the wall.

 

Class time moves like molasses, and Coraline's Three Ms are always waiting at the very front of her mind.

 

She notices how confident Mabel is, moving seamlessly into adulthood. She's headed for something beyond, and she's walking there with her head up without stumbling. Coraline thinks about herself; shuffling, shrugging before she speaks, disregarding what she's about to say.

 

Coraline can see the edges of the woods and the mountaintops from her Biology classroom, and she hooks her left foot behind her right ankle, watching the clock.

 

The sun is out today, and Mabel is wearing the nail polish Coraline had awkwardly shoved into her hand on the first day of school, announcing that she'd found it in Portland, and that it reminded her of Mabel. Her nails tap the desk as she takes down notes, clicking under a sunbeam, and when the three o' clock bell rings, she grins at Coraline.

 

"It's sunny out today!"

 

"Uh, yeah. It's nice."

 

"Wanna go exploring? I've found something cool in the woods."

 

Coraline quashes the guilty pleasure she feels when Mabel and her head straight for the forest, without even Dipper.


	8. Chapter 8

Mabel's walking in front, with Coraline just behind her left shoulder, and it could always be like this; Mabel would always go first, and Coraline would follow.

 

Except that's not fair, because Coraline only stepped into Mabel's life so recently, and she's falling for someone she doesn't even r _eally_ know.

 

The silence is comfortable, and sometimes their hands brush, and Coraline pretends it's not a Big Deal to her, because it wouldn't be a Big Deal to anybody else.

 

The rainwater never really leaves the forests, clinging to the undersides of pine needles and soaking Coraline's calves as they trudge through the undergrowth, making their way off the paths and into the tall, seemingly infinite landscape of ancient trees. They're armed, like they always are. Coraline's got her stone with the iron chain, a pocket knife, and E-Z Strike matches (she figures it's a general rule that fire solves occult problems). Mabel's got her evil eye, and an assortment of other charm necklaces. Coraline's taken to this default mode quite easily, and it should disturb her, but it doesn't. Which is infinitely more disturbing.

 

Coraline stops momentarily, texting her parents about her whereabouts before they go too deep, into the darkness, beyond anything remotely resembling cellphone service. Her parents don't seem to worried about her sudden casual hiking addiction.

 

In Ashland, Coraline hadn't really had any hobbies, after the _incident._ She always did her homework, and she'd either be watching television, reading whatever she found at the public library (Coraline wouldn't call herself 'well-read'; she'd read books of little consequence with glossy covers about secrets and people finding themselves in small worlds much like her own. She'd stayed away from depth and the paranormal), or roamed the grounds with Wybie, not causing anything that could really be called trouble.

 

The homework habit wasn't really dying, and Coraline wasn't sure when she'd earned herself a reputation as the studious type, but she wasn't complaining; Mabel had more trouble focusing, and would ask for help with studying if Dipper was busy.

 

Coraline looks up from her phone, and Mabel's waiting patiently, smiling a small smile.

 

It could always be like this, too; Coraline always following, and Mabel always willing to wait.

 

They continue, and even though it's hardly half past three and the sun is still out, the canopy of the forest plunges everything into near darkness, and the pair have to mind their footing with all the roots, rocks, and possible mischievous gnomes.

 

Mabel's telling a story about how a gnome tribe once kidnapped her and tried to make her their queen, and Coraline always remembers how she promised to tell her _story,_ because she wants to but doesn't know how, and Mabel's told her so many.

 

The tall blades of grass smear and wipe the mud on her Docs, and Mabel's pink, polka-dotted gumboots are making squelching noises as they slowly make their way to Mabel's supposed destination.

 

Coraline hears it before she sees it.

 

…

 

It's a heavy waterfall, gurgling over a mossy rock face and into a long ditch that might run out into the Gravity Falls lake.

 

"There's a cave behind it." Mabel announces, clambering down the bank of the ditch and leaping over, grabbing at the shrubs on the opposite side for balance. Coraline follows her, of course.

 

"I haven't gone in, yet. I was saving it."

 

Coraline feels a swell of pride knowing that Mabel's been saving it for her, not even Dipper. She feels selfish, too, but she tries not to think about it.

 

Mabel watches her, head inclined, as Coraline scrambles up the bank to join her.

 

"You're never afraid, are you?"

 

Coraline opens her mouth to reply, _of course she's afraid, anyone would be afraid-_

 

but she realizes it isn't quite true.

 

She's never been afraid. And that's what scares her, mostly.

 

She tells Mabel as much, and Mabel looks at her, really _looks._

 

"You seek it out, don't you?"

 

"I try not to." Coraline says hastily, and it feels like lying, even though she promised not to ever go looking for the dark parts of the world, not again.

 

"Me, too. But I want to, anyways. At least with two of us, it's safer." Mabel says, never breaking eye contact, and Coraline wants it to be true, because she's never tried, not even with Wybie, really.

 

"I trust you." Coraline blurts out, and Mabel smiles.

 

"I hope you don't mind getting your clothes wet."

 

They leave their sweaters and boots outside, mud squishing between their toes as they clamber up the slick rocks. Coraline's down to a tank top and jeans rolled up to mid-calf (and her stone, of course), though she's not sure cuffing them will keep them dry when she walks under the waterfall. She's never tried.

 

 

…

 

The water is ice cold, running down Coraline's shirt and plastering her hair to her forehead. Mabel yelps, then giggles, and Coraline wonders if her laughter is this contagious for everyone, or if it's just her.

 

It's not dark inside.

 

It's a small cave, and the lumpy, dull crystals on the walls don't _seem_ to be glowing. They're dull and covered in slick moss, but there's light in the cave beyond the shimmering patterns bouncing off the walls from the waterfall. Mabel descends first, hands groping the walls as she toes her way around, biting her lip and trying to curb her excitement for the sake of safety. He breathing is uneven, echoing off the walls, and Coraline gives herself a shake, stops staring, and scrambles after Mabel.

 

There's a pool- green, but not murky- wedged between stalactites and stalagmites, sitting still like it's waiting. Coraline would like to think that it's where the light is coming from, but it doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere. Whatever's illuminating the cave, it's stagnant, old; just like the air, the water in the pool.

 

"How deep do you think it is?" Mabel whispers, like she's worried they're trespassing, but her voice still echoes.

 

Coraline goes all the way to the edge of pool to look down, and it doesn't even occur to her to stop and think about the potential danger. She hears Mabel's sharp intake of breath bounce off of a crevice, and another, and then another. The cave seems to small to have an echo.

 

The water is clear, but Coraline can't see the bottom. The rock lining the pool is smooth and symmetrical, and the only thing out of place is Coraline's reflection, green and flat on the still water. Taking it in, she self-consciously fixes her wet hair, pushing her bangs from her forehead. Coraline blushes, scrunching up her mouth when she notices the care she's taking with her appearance, but not her safety. "It's clear water, but I still can't see the bottom."

 

"Maybe it's a Cenote!" Mabel's voice hits an excited crescendo halfway through her sentence before she can help herself, and her final syllables ricochet off the cave walls.

 

"Uh?"

 

"A Cenote! Dipper told me about them. They're like caves with underground water pools that led to the sea. The Mayans thought they were tunnels to the underworld, and they threw sacrificial victims in 'em."

 

"…Are they safe to swim in?"

 

Mabel gives her that _look_ again, flashes her a grin that illuminates the whole damn cave. "I like the way you think."

 

Coraline almost falls in the water when Mabel peels off her wet shirt, shimmies her jeans down her thighs and toes them off. She's wearing lacy green boyshorts and a pink, polkadotted bra that matches her gumboots. Coraline feels her face go flushed all over, redness creeping up her shoulders and the back of her neck, and she's glad for the dimness of the cave.

 

Mabel jogs past her as fast as she dare on the slippery, uneven ground, laughter bubbling out off her and all around the cave as she clumsily jumps into the pool. Coraline's following without even thinking about it, tugging off her damp jeans and tank top, shoving them into a corner with her feet. She carefully hangs her druid stone necklace off a stalagmite, worried about losing it in the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, cats and kittens. Now seems like an appropriate time to mention that the rating on this story will be going up, at some point. Yee Ha!


	9. Chapter 9

The water isn't cold, and Coraline dives as deep as she dares, eyes wide open. She presses her hands against the smooth walls of the pool, surprised with the absence of algae. She still can't see the bottom.

 

She can see Mabel's bare legs, long, pale and tinged green in the pool, treading water above her. Coraline pushes off the rock, making for the surface. Mabel's hair fans out over her back, floating just under the surface of the water. Coraline thinks she looks just like a mermaid, and she forgets herself, surfacing right in front of the other girl, too close to her face.

 

There are water drops clinging to Mabel's eyelashes, and when she blinks, one falls down her cheek, travelling along the curve of her collarbone and between her breasts. Coraline's eyes follow it all the way, still too close, far too close. On the very top of her line of sight, she can see Mabel's mouth curve into a smile, and when she looks up to meet her eyes, illuminated with green light, Coraline smiles, too.

 

"When you say you kissed a mermaid," She asks, voice quiet enough so that it won't be caught in the cave, echoing, "did you mean a mer _maid_?"

 

Coraline isn't sure who starts it. After all, Mabel always goes first, but Coraline is never afraid.

 

Either way, Mabel's smile opens, rows of white teeth and petal pink, and Mabel has a hand on the small of Coraline's back, and it feels like warmth and want and danger. Mabel's lipgloss is sticky against Coraline's mouth, and it smells like buttercream frosting. It's the two of them, trying to stay afloat and touch each other, hands touching hips, shoulders, and waists while feet kick beneath the green water. Coraline lets her self touch the ends of Mabel's hair under the water, lets her fingers fan out in the soft strands. Mabel smells like lilacs and rainwater-soaked moss and _buttercream frosting,_ and she's wrapping her arms around Coraline's waist and pulling her closer, even though it makes treading water infinitely more difficult. Mabel kisses her slow, like they're not in probable danger, and when Coraline feels Mabel's tongue parting her lips, it feels like a puzzle piece.

 

Mabel always goes first, but Coraline is never afraid.

 

Their knees bump as their legs kick, and when Coraline crowds Mabel up against the edge of the pool, fingers wrapped in that long, mermaid hair, Mabel cradles Coraline's face, pressing her soft body flush against Coraline's own and kissing Coraline like it's only the two of them, in this cave, in the whole world.

 

Apparently, they aren't the only two in the cave.

 

The scream ricochets of the cave walls like a bullet, sharp and _cold,_ and Coraline feels it in her blood. Mabel's head snaps up, her head hitting the pool wall and her teeth nicking Coraline's lip.

 

Coraline pushes herself up on her forearms out of the pool, struggling for traction with her feet as she drags herself onto the cave floor, offering Mabel a hand and pulling her out of the water. The ground is slippery, and Coraline treads carefully, ducking under stalactites and around stalagmites, fumbling for her Druid stone in the dull glow of the cave.

 

She sees a shadow, bouncing off the smoky quartz lining the cave walls, and a hiss of pain, but she never sees anyone. Or, in all clichéd likelihood, any _thing._

 

She finds her stone where she left it, but it's swinging back and forth, and there's steam rising off the chain.

 

…

 

Coraline grabs her pendant by the rock, holding the chain at arms' length. The steam is almost gone, but seriously, _what._

 

Mabel's peeking over her shoulder, breathing shallow like she's just been kissed hard, and oh, _wait._

 

"Coraline… did you get a look at whatever that was?"

 

"No, did you?"

 

"Nope."

 

"I… I think it was after my necklace."

 

The cave seems darker, and Mabel's eyeing the waterfall. Coraline follows her out, wordlessly.

 

They dress in silence, shivering in the autumn air and trying to wring the water from their hair. Coraline kneels to lace up her boots, and when she stands, Mabel's standing too close to her.

 

"Uh-"

 

Mabel kisses her, cold and clammy, the dank smell of the cave clinging to her hair, and Coraline melts into it, burrowing her hands in the pockets of Mabel's chunky cardigan. Mabel's lips curve into a smile against Coraline's mouth, and when she ducks her head, her lashes tickle Coraline's cheeks. Mabel hugs her, on the muddy bank of the ditch outside the cave, in the mist of the forest, and Coraline isn't afraid.

 

…

 

Coraline walks Mabel back to the Mystery Shack, hands brushing and elbows bumping, and Coraline asks how to tell your parents that you like girls.

 

"You don't have to tell anyone, if you don't want to. It's not a rule, or anything."

 

"I want to. I like keeping as few secrets from my Mom and Dad as possible."

 

"Do you tell them about… you know, what lives in the woods, and all that shit?"

 

Coraline hesitates. "I… it's complicated. They've brushed with monsters, but it's like a memory that's so old you're not sure whether or not it's a dream."

 

Mabel stares, and grabs Coraline's hand. "You know that thing you said you'd tell me about?"

 

"Uh-"

 

"You don't have to, if you don't-"

 

"I do! I do. It's just… it might take me some time. I've never talked about it, before."

 

Mabel kisses her again behind the hummingbird feeder on the back porch, gentle and patient and on her tip-toes, and Coraline's knees go a little weak.

 

…

 

Coraline sets the table for dinner, chewing on ideas while her father bustles around their new kitchen, humming. He's making squash soup with roasted walnuts and crème fraîche, and Coraline can't believe she used to hate his cooking. Her mother wanders in from the living room, drawn in by the woody smell of the soup. She asks Coraline if she wants some sliced carrots or cucumbers with dinner as she pulls out a cutting board, and Coraline nods.

 

"Cucumbers or carrots?"

 

 _Girls,_ Coraline thinks.

 

"Uh, carrots." She says.

 

It's the three of them, sitting around their cozy dinner table, and when Coraline's mother asks how her hike went, Coraline blurts out " _I like girls._ "

 

"Oh. Like, _like_ like?"

 

"Uh. Yeah."

 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

 

"Not really?"

 

"Alright. So, how was your hike?"

 

"It was chill."

 

"We're glad you like it here, with the woods, and the mountains, and the lake." Her father pipes up. "Ashland just wasn't…"

 

Coraline nods before he finishes the thought, and she feels so light, like she's floating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOW SOMEONE DREW ME ANOTHER THING YOU GUUUYYYSSSSS
> 
> Y'ALL ARE TOO SWEET ON THE REAL
> 
> http://princedisarming.tumblr.com/post/52371323323/fan-art-for-this-fic


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while, but I'm back in my city and picking up things I've been missing.

Alone in her room, Coraline logs into Skype, calling Wybie.

 

"Hey, Coraline, what's u-"

 

"So I asked Mabel if she kissed a merdude or a mermaid."

 

"Woah, that wasn't, like, a legitimate question I had, you didn't have to actually, uh."

 

"We made out in a cave." Coraline blurts out, feeling giddy.

 

"Wow. I get credit for that pickup line, then. Totally a legitimate question, then." Wybie gives her a double thumbs up.

 

"I think I need to tell her about the _thing_."

 

"Specific much? You could literally be talking about anything." Wybie shrugs, but his tone is careful.

 

"You what I'm talking about."

 

"Yeah. The _incident._ "

 

Coraline sighs, scrubbing a hand over her face. "I've never really talked about it. It's… it's messed up. I dunno."

 

"Yeah. I was, like, hardly involved, and it was still pretty screwy. You can talk about it with me, for practice, if you want."

 

"I'd like that. Not right now, but I would."

 

…

 

Coraline forgets certain particulars about the incident in the cave. She remembers Mabel's mouth and body against hers, and how Mabel had looked, illuminated in the dull glow of the cave.

 

She doesn't remember the shadows, or how her iron chain had been warm to the touch, almost hot.

 

Life moves on.

 

…

 

Coraline joins the lacrosse team. She doesn't consider herself much of an athlete, except for when she's _running for her life,_ in which case she's a goddamn all-star. But Grenda sees her running late to first block, one morning, and insists she has good form.

 

"Tryouts are after school today, on the pitch."

 

"I've never played before, though."

 

"Whatever, there's only two teams, anyways, so it's not very competitive. Besides, it isn't hard, and you've already got the running down. See you there?"

 

"Yeah, sure."

 

When Coraline tells Mabel, scooting next to her at lunch, Mabel grins, and asks to come watch.

 

"What, watch me flail around and hit myself in the face with the stick?"

 

"Hey, don't sell yourself short! You can do anything you put your mind to, Coraline." Mabel smiles, playfully punching Coraline in the shoulder, and Coraline _glows._

 

It's like that, now. Coraline occupying her little niche as Mabel's friend and Mabel's _girlfriend,_ and it's so amazing to feel someone's eyes on her with this crazy intensity Coraline's never understood before, and it makes her face feel warm in the autumn chill. Mabel and her, exploring the woods together that seem endless, for such a small space, Mabel walking ahead with Coraline's hand in hers. Mabel stretching her legs across Coraline's lap when they do homework on Coraline's couch. It's every day, but it's everything by mundane, and it's new and exciting and not at all terrifying, but probably dangerous.

 

Dipper knows, of course. He tried to do some kind of speech, when they were hanging out together, and Mabel went to get something from the fridge, but he sort of just clasped Coraline's shoulder and blurted out "Trust about stuff", before giving up, and going back to one of Calpurnia's tomes.

 

Norman knew before Coraline told him, Coraline is sure, but he hadn't said anything. He tried his best to act like it was the first he'd heard of it, but Coraline suspects that when he'd seen her with the Perþ charm Calpurnia had made, staring at Mabel's legs, he'd guessed. She tells him as much, and he shrugs.

 

"I mean, kind of? Calpurnia's cryptic, though. She knows what's up before anyone, but she doesn't really share."

 

Mabel had asked if it was alright to tell Candy and Grenda about them, _them,_ and how they're a unit makes Coraline grin uncontrollably.

 

"Yeah, of course."

 

Candy had confided in Coraline not to worry about food-related things, because Dipper's the one with the allergies, and Grenda had gone in for a fist bump.

 

Coraline's not really sure how she suddenly has a dynamic with so many people, and it's weird, being part of something, but she's trying it out, and it feels good.

 

Lacrosse tryouts go surprisingly well. Grenda doesn't go soft on Coraline for being her friend, but Coraline comes out ahead in the laps, and isn't half bad with coordination. It's literally hit and miss, sometimes, and Coraline fell flat on her face the first time she got body checked, but she holds her own.

 

"Do you get one of those team jackets? Can I wear it?" Mabel asks, twining a finger around a lock of her hair. They're sitting on a fallen log in the forest, avoiding doing their Biology homework and watching for miniature gryphons, and Coraline's jaw drops a little, because it's cliché and great and she loves the mental image.

 

"Uhm, _yes-_ oh my god, you want to wear my _team jacket._ "

 

"Well, yeah, of course I do." Mabel leans in, and she's so unabashed about things she likes and what she wants, and when she kisses Coraline, hands in her hair, Coraline's completely lost.

 

Mabel tastes like bubblegum, pliant against Coraline's mouth, and when Coraline breathes in, she smells earthiness of the forest, rainwater filtered through the moss, red clay under the soil. Mabel's floral perfume, faint just just behind her ears, and Coraline could stay like this forever, suspended in balance on a rotting tree with Mabel flush against her, rain dripping off the leaves above them down her neck.

 

They move, though. Shifting in the dappled shadows, Mabel crawling onto Coraline's lap, arms stretching over Coraline's shoulders, grabbing at the air behind them. Coraline wrapping her arms around Mabel's waist, chasing her mouth and breathing her in, and this is _it,_ Coraline's tingly all over, Mabel neatly stealing her brain out through her mouth and turning Coraline's body mass into Jell-O, and-

 

There's a noise, somewhere behind them, or maybe in front of them. The noise of someone, or, again, some _thing_ trying not to make any noise at all, and Coraline somehow manages to pry herself away from Mabel's mouth.

 

"Did you hear that?"

 

"Coraline, dude, that's my line. You're the lacrosse player. The jock. I'm the hapless girlfriend." Mabel teases, and Coraline couldn't be afraid even if she wanted to.

 

"Hilarious. But seriously, I definitely heard something. And my Druid stone is all… warm."

 

"So, is it, like, an early warning system as well as night vision. Dipper gets the journal, and you get this? No fair, where's my Token Protagonist Object?" Mabel laughs, clambering off the log and offering Coraline her hand.

 

Coraline takes it, hoisting her backpack over her shoulder and grabbing her lacrosse bag. "We'll come up with something cool, I promise."

 

…

 

Coraline's mom is excited about Coraline joining the lacrosse team, and hugs her tightly. Her and Coraline's father know about Coraline and Mabel- again, the two of them, _together_ \- and Coraline's father had preened when Mabel told him she liked his cooking.

 

"You seem to be finding yourself here. I don't know if those are the right words, but you've made so many friends, and are trying all these new things. Are you happy?"

 

"Yeah. Grenda's the team captain, and she's… 'nice' isn't the right word, but she's good with everyone. It doesn't feel stressful, it's just a good challenge."

 

"It's great that you're picking up new hobbies."

 

…

 

After dinner, Coraline logs into Skype, lying on her bed with her Biology homework spread out in front of her. Wybie's online.

 

"Hey, man. Help me procrastinate."

 

"I'm not even a voluntary bad influence anymore. It has come to this."

 

"So, I joined a lacrosse team."

 

"Kick ass."

 

"I get a team jacket."

 

"Your girlfriend gonna wear it?"

 

"Duh."

 

"Nailed it."


	11. Chapter 11

They’re watching stars on the hood of an old Alpine MK (Grunkle Stan’s, Mabel says, he never uses it.) at a viewing spot off the highway ( _Makeout Point_ , Mabel says, we’re going to use it a _lot._ ), when Mabel announces that they’re a power couple.

 

“Um?”

 

“We’re a power couple.”

 

“We are?”

 

“Yeah, obviously. I’m the charming yet mysterious social butterfly. And you’re super smart _and_ a lacrosse star.”

 

Mabel’s wearing her team jacket, _Jones 13_ splashed across her black in white, and even though it’s no longer a new sight, Coraline still preens.

 

Preening is new, she’s not quite used to it, hooks her left foot around her right ankle and shrugs. “I’m not a star. I can just run fast.”

 

Mabel’s eyes crinkle up at the corners and she leans in, brushes their noses together. Coraline feels like it’s not so hard to be a quiet girl around Mabel, she won’t mind that Coraline doesn’t talk much or isn’t the best at articulating how she feels. Mabel can talk for the both of them. Coraline prefers to listen, anyways. Watch how Mabel’s eyes widen and her hands move. There is nothing jerky or awkward seeming about her, nothing so juvenile or amateur. No matter what it is, if Mabel’s doing it, it just seems graceful and grown-up and easy.

 

“I like it here best for the sky.” Mabel says. “It’s so far away from everything else, you can see so many stars.”

 

Coraline agrees, but she doesn’t really look at the stars when they go out like this. She likes to look at Mabel. The lipstick smears that sometimes catch on her teeth. How her ears will be a bit red from the cold. The beauty marks on her cheeks, the backs of her hands. How soft she is, thighs pushing out when she sits on the car hood.

 

Mabel will always notice her staring, after a while. Their dates always end the same way.

 

They are dates. Mabel sometimes gets the car for the night and picks her up and everything, talks to her parents at the door. Coraline still gets the giddy-nervous tightness in her chest and warmth in her cheeks when she sees the headlights in the driveway, still frets about getting her hair to sit right. They do something in town, get coffee and syrupy, candy-red cherry pie, or bid their way in to community centre bingo with the change from their pockets. Mabel introduces Coraline to what she calls a slurpee bellini, pours vodka her friend Wendy got her into a bright blue Slush Puppy from the ancient machine at the convenience store that boasts being open 25 hours. They compare tongue colours and coraline licks a sticky stripe up the side of her face, makes Coraline shout out a laugh.

 

They don’t really stay in, they like to go out, whether or not they have the car. They don’t go into the woods on their dates, the woods are something else, though exploring them together is special, too.

 

Their dates always end the same way, though. Just like tonight.

 

It’s most of the way through October, cold enough that Mabel should wear something thicker than a lacrosse jacket, but it doesn’t matter. They’re in the backseat of the car, and Coraline is still nervous about touching and petting, it’s still very, _very_ new to her, still fumbles with zippers and buttons and hooks, but Mabel is patient and sweet and never makes her feel embarrassed.

 

They kiss a lot, always, Coraline smearing Mabel’s careful pink lipstick all over both their mouths and cheeks and jaws. She likes that, likes how it looks, how it gives way to a kind of smug feeling in her gut about how she’s the one undoing Mabel like that. Coraline is slow, and Mabel never pushes, even if they haven’t done anything like-

 

Well. Coraline is slow. She’s never done this with anyone before.

 

How complex Mabel’s clothes seem is a comfort, the buttons and hooks and ties, unrolling her stockings. It makes going slow seem more natural.

 

Their dates don’t end in sex, not yet. There’s always kissing, Coraline wanting to mouth at Mabel’s breasts or the soft roll of her hips, pepper little kisses to Mabel’s wrists and the crooks of her elbows or map her beauty marks across her stomach and thighs. Mabel is so warm and soft under her, always soft where Coraline feels like all hard angles and edges. Coraline herself doesn’t really undress, especially in the car, where it’s difficult, but she simply prefers to look at Mabel, can’t imagine someone getting pleasure in looking at her own body.

 

Tonight, Mabel frowns, fiddles with the hem of Coraline’s shirt. “Would you be alright with me seeing you?”

 

Coraline flushes a little, rubs the back of her neck. “There isn’t much to see. I don’t- look like you.”

 

“I don’t want you to look like me. I want you to look like you. We don’t have to, if you’re not comfortable.”

 

Coraline peels off her t-shirt, awkwardly moves to take off her jeans in cramped backseat. Mabel kisses the hollow between her collarbone and her shoulder, and Coraline can smell her shampoo again, mint and rosemary. She moves her mouth to Coraline’s throat, leaves her skin feeling hot and too tight.

 

“There.” She says. “You’re beautiful.”

 

It’s not that Coraline felt self-conscious, more that she didn’t understand why Mabel would be interested in looking at her body, when it’s just there, not very special, simply existing. But if Mabel likes to look at it, Coraline likes showing her.

 

Coraline doesn’t take her necklace off, even when Mabel unhooks her plain bra, flicks her tongue over her nipple and makes Coraline arch, make an embarrassing sound. Mabel smiles wide, all teeth.

 

“Can I touch you?”

 

Coraline nods, a little breathless. It’s not really something she fantasized about before, even when they were starting. It was always more about Mabel, to be the one giving her any kind of pleasure at all. Never to be touched and wanted herself, that always felt secondary.

 

Mabel fumbles with the chain around her neck.

 

Coraline finds herself asking, “Can I look at you? Through the druid stone?”

 

Mabel inclines her head, smiles. “Alright.”

 

Coraline does, and she only sees Mabel, her Mabel and it’s so easy to forget any worries and reservations- not fears, she hasn’t been thinking about fear.

 

But it’s too easy to forget.

 


End file.
